


For You, At Redcliffe

by Letummordre



Series: Silver Tongue, Heart of Gold [2]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 19:36:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13197105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Letummordre/pseuds/Letummordre
Summary: Pre-Dark Ritual.Riordan just broke the news that he's going to die. So, Hap does the sensible thing: he writes a letter for Zevran in the event of his death.





	For You, At Redcliffe

_A simple piece of parchment, folded neatly on top of crumpled bedsheets. The Grey Warden insignia marks the outside of the paper, and nothing else_.

Zev,

I don’t know what will happen when we face the Archdemon tomorrow, but I do know this: you have taken everything I thought I knew and pulled it down around me. I was a far different person when I met you than the person I am now. You can argue that it’s the entire situation, sure. I can practically hear you say it, you cheeky fuck. But I want you to know in case I don’t get the chance later that it was you. I suppose you won't believe me anyway, but there's no use arguing with a dead man now is there? I thought so. 

If I fail then it falls to Alistair and Riordan to finish the Archdemon. Whoever faces the Archdemon will die. It’s part of our duty as Wardens, and all that. And as the leader of this band of merry misfits, it falls to me to try and kill the Archdemon first. It's what I was meant to do, I feel it in my bones. So, that leaves me little choice here, and I hope you’ll forgive me for this. Especially since I'm about to ask you to carry out something for me, in the event of my death. Just remember you love me when you read this. Deep breaths, okay. Good? Good. Here we go: Here’s what I want you to do in case I die: there’s a small locked box in my rooms under the bed. Everything I want my family to have is in that box. The key to it is on top of the chest of drawers. I’d like you to find them in the alienage and give them both. There will be a small pouch beside the parchment. I’d like you to give that to my father specifically. I know he’ll fall apart so… tell him I’m sorry. And that my mother would have been proud of him too. He might hug you, it's hit or miss. My father's the hugging sort. Maybe just... pat him on the back a little, if you will. 

And finally, for you. I’ll be wearing your earring, like I have since you’ve given it to me. The choice is ultimately up to you, since it is yours… but, here’s what I would want. I want you to be happy, with or without me. If I die, I want you to find someone else. You should take the earring. There’s no point in burning it alongside me.

With that  _lovely_  image in mind, I’ll move to the sappy part. Fair warning here, so you can skip it or whatever.

I love you. I never wanted to settle down before, and never loved anyone enough to want to. You know that, don't you? But you stole my heart, and I don’t want it back. You can have it. It’s yours. You decide if we have a future together, but I already told you I took that earring as a proposal. Are you scared? I’m scared. What a bunch of emotionally stunted morons we are.  ~~Thanks, alienage life. Thanks slave holding Crows. Thanks future King Alistair and Queen Anora. Thanks--~~

Okay I'm done joking again I promise. 

I’m running out of things to write here. It’d be a damn shame if I forgot something and then got killed out there, right? How would I ever tell you? Well. I guess I’ll have to risk it. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. You stayed by my side through more than I could have ever asked you for. I told you that you were free and owed me nothing, but you still chose to follow me into all this chaos. You didn't need to do that, but you did. When I recruited you, all you asked for was your freedom and the opportunity to let you go once I didn't have need of you anymore. ...But the truth is, I'll always need you. You're not obligated to me anymore, but if you choose to still follow me if we survive tomorrow... well. I'll consider it the purest act of true love, honestly. 

Maybe that you're the slightest bit crazy. But I am too. 

And if we live tomorrow… how about you decide where we’re going for once? I’m tired of leading.

Yours,

Hap

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hap ends up doing the Dark Ritual and living. However Zevran still reads the letter, and Hap's embarrassment will transcend time and space itself.


End file.
